New figures show that more than 350 students have successfully achieved the Diploma in Construction and Built Environment (C&BE) qualification for 14 to 19 year olds.
At the Advanced level, which is equivalent to three and a half A levels, students yielded an impressive pass rate of 91%. This standard was also reflected at the Higher level, which is equivalent to seven GCSEs grades A* – C, where 238 young people gained a C or above, and an overall pass rate of 83%. At Foundation level, a total of 63 students achieved their Diploma, with an overall success rate of 50%. One student also completed the Diploma in C&BE at Progression level.
Developed by employers, schools, colleges and universities, the Diploma in C&BE which is modular in structure, aims to help young people aged 14 to 19 realise their potential and gain knowledge and skills in a real world environment. It has the flexibility to be taken instead of, or alongside GCSEs, A levels and vocational subjects and being modular, enables learners to achieve at their own pace before applying the skills they have learnt to the next stage of their development, be that at university, college or the world of work.
The news of the Diploma in C&BE results comes shortly after the coalition Government announced that it will continue to support the qualification as long as there is demand. The Diploma has been recognised as hugely important to give young people knowledge of emerging trends such as carbon reduction and modern methods of construction. This will put them in a very strong position when entering the industry or Higher Education, and also has the potential to benefit current workers, who may be able to learn these new skills from Diploma achievers.
Simon Bartley, Chair of the Construction and Built Environment Diploma Development Partnership and Chief Executive of UK Skills said: “The Diploma in C&BE is of huge importance to the construction and built environment industry. The qualification opens up the industry to a wide range of young people and helps to ensure a bigger and better pool of potential new recruits. The results highlight that the industry’s future is in safe hands with talented young people looking to forge a successful career which is of huge benefit to the UK economy as a whole.”
Nick Gooderson, Head of Standards and Qualifications at ConstructionSkills, said: “Diploma students deserve to be congratulated on their achievements. The results issued show that the Diploma is as challenging and rigorously assessed as we hoped it would be, and as both employers and students alike value the diploma so highly, we’re confident that demand for this qualification will increase, and with it, the number of well-trained, job-ready young people entering the workforce.
“However, the Diploma is just one route available for those who wish to begin a career in construction, and as with any new qualification, interest in the course will be relatively low at first and build year on year. In developing the Diploma in C&BE at ConstructionSkills, we sought to combine practical skill development with theoretical and technical knowledge, taught by people with relevant industry experience. However, the formative years of any new qualification will reveal areas where the course can be improved, and to that end, we’re working on simplifying the way the Diploma is administrated so that future students will find completing the Diploma an even more rewarding experience.”